Air force secretary thinks F-35A will survive

Posted on: Dec. 13th, 2005 || Source: flightinternational.com | E-mail Article | Print Article

US Secretary of the Air Force Michael Wynne says closed-door talks on budget cuts could reduce the total procurement of the Lockheed Martin F-35 Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) by hundreds, but all three variants of the next-generation aircraft are likely to be retained.

Wynne’s remarks came in the final days of internal Pentagon discussions over the Quadrennial Defense Review, a sweeping planning document that is expected to rebalance defence spending priorities.

Although they do not represent a final decision on the JSF programme, Wynne’s comments appear to rebut months of speculation that Pentagon insiders would favour a proposal to eliminate the USAF’s conventional take-off and landing (CTOL) F-35A and force the service to shift to a mixed purchase of the short take-off and vertical landing (STOVL) F-35B and the F-35C carrier variant (CV). Wynne took up his new post last month after two years as undersecretary of defence for acquisition, technology and logistics.

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